Decapitated body of a student creates stir among the public

Kathmandu June 23, 2009: The situation in the Kathmandu valley remained tensed from the early morning when students took it out on streets in showcasing their aggravation and agitation against the inhuman act of killing and kidnapping Khyati Shrestha. Khyati Shrestha was a 19 year old teenager full with life who was kidnapped and later murdered by Biren Pradhan. Biren in his desperate attempt to silence his act of brutality decapitated her body and stranded it at various locations. Khyati’s decapitated body was then found after 19 days of her kidnapping in a river bed which stunned the nation. According to a family source, “ She had received an anonymous call stating that she had won a prize of Nrs 20,000 rupees and a trip to Pokhara, where the organizers had called her to Putalisadak for further processing where unknowing she fell prey in the plot.” Khyati in her excitement of winning a prize followed the instructions and went there. From there she was transported to Khusibu Area by the help of Merina Shakya an accomplish of Pradhan and the unfortunate girl went missing. The family was then contacted by the kidnappers from Khyati’s mobile following a number of SMSs in Hindi language. The kidnapper demanded 1 Million Rupees to be handed over at a local hotel in Kakarbhitta. The family with no option handed-over the money to the kidnappers where Khyati’s mother had noticed Biren at the venue. Though, the money reached the kidnappers soundly but who knew faith had stored something so cruel for that unfortunate girl and later, she was murdered and decapitated. Suspecting, a foul play in sighting Biren at the venue, Khyati’s mother reported the incident back to the police where the police arrested Biren in Sorhakhutte after 16 days of her kidnapping. Looking back at Biren's profile; Biren was the ex- landlord of Khyati who had close insights about Khyati and her family. In the Preliminary interrogation, Biren accepted the charge of killing Khyati and dismantling and derelict her body at different location. According to him, he dumped her body at Saibu and limbs at Narayanghat where the culprit is yet to disclose the whereabouts of her head. Apart from the act of brutality, students had protested and voiced against their rights of security where they even used violence on Monday. Nevertheless, with the steadily rise in Kidnapping and murder cases , the legal and security system lies helpless in witnessing  the happenings one after the other. With the voice of youth standing laud and tall seeking answer, Nepal's legal system seems silent in address the cause where the police force remains tactful in solving the case but not providing the sense of security.

By Shreedeep Rayamajhi